BJP shed 'crocodile tears' over Maoist attack: Sonia Gandhi

Congress president Sonia Gandhi on Thursday recalled the Maoist attack on its frontline leaders in Chhattisgarh, and accused the BJP government in the state of shedding "crocodile tears" over the incident.

Addressing a crowd of around 20,000 people in Kondagaon, Sonia Gandhi reminded them of the May 25 incident when the party's frontline leadership was wiped out in the rebel attack.

"Congress is a party of sacrifice and development. Our leadership sacrificed their lives. We are missing them," she said.

The Congress chief said Chief Minister Raman Singh had accepted his failure to prevent the attack.

"What is the point of shedding crocodile tears now," she said.

The rally was part of the Congress's election campaign in the state which has two-phase assembly polls Nov 11 and 19.

Sonia Gandhi accused the BJP government of failing to develop the state in the past 10 years, and said poverty had increased and that women were not safe.

"They (BJP) claim they have brought development, but poverty has increased in the rural areas of the state in the past 10 years," she said at her rally at the Vikas Nagar stadium.

"The mineral-rich state has become backward and the women feel unsafe here. Maoist violence has killed a number of innocent people," she said.

"I want to ask you what kind of government is this," Sonia Gandhi said in Hindi.

The BJP has been ruling Chhattisgarh for 10 years now under Chief Minister Raman Singh.

Highlighting the pro-poor and pro-reform central legislations like the Food Security Act and the Land Acquisition Act beside the rural job plan and the National Rural Employment Guarantee Scheme (NREGS), Sonia Gandhi said the Congress believes in inclusive growth.

"They (BJP) only promise, we (Congress) do the work," she said.

Sonia Gandhi promised several welfare measures if her party was voted back to power. She urged people to vote for the Congress in the upcoming assembly polls.

"We will give free 35 kg grain to all poor people, increase the minimum support price of paddy to Rs.2,000 per quintal and work for rehabilitation in Maoist-affected areas," she said.

Sonia Gandhi said people of the state were forced to migrate for better livelihood as there were few opportunities for them.

"Poor people are not getting their land despite our passing the Forest Rights Act," the Congress chief said.